Railway safety device.



W. J. MEENAGHAN.

RAILWAY SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 14, 1913.

1,085,694; 1 Patented Feb. 3, 1 914.

v 6g IuuuNVENTOR WITNESSES fifdlmm/ 1 may BY v W ATTORN EY WILLIAM JOSEPH MEENAG-HAN, OF AMARILLO, TEXAS.

RAILWAY SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 14, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Serial No. 754,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM J. MEENA- GHAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amarillo, in the county of Potter and State of Texas, and whose post-oflice address is P. N. T. Railway Freight Oilice, Amarillo, Texas, have invented a new and useful Railway Safety Device, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a safety device for split switch rails.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efiicient safety device designed to be applied to split switch rails, and adapted when such a switch rail has been moved to a position contiguous to the adjacent fixed or stock rail of preventing the said split switch rail from bobbing up above the tread surface of the stock rail from any of the causes which usually result in the point ofthe split switch rail project ing above the stock rail.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety device adapted when a train approaches the point of the split switch rail to force the point end of the said swich rail directly against the stock rail should there be any loose space between the said rails.

Another object of the invention is to provide a safety device, which, while capable of eifectually preventing the wheels when approaching the point end of the switch from forcing their way between the same and the stock rail and splitting the switch, will not interfere with the passage of the flanges of the wheels through the space between the stock rail and the switch rail when the wheels are traveling along the stock rail in the direction of the point.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims here.

to appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a switch having split switch rails equipped with a safety device, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the slides or chairs. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one end of the base plate.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the referred embodiment of the invention, 1 deslgnates a base plate designed to be arranged fiat upon the upper face of a wooden cross tie 2, and extending along the same beneath the fixed or stock rails 3 and split switch rails 1 of a switch. The split switch rails are of the usual construction, and in practice will be connected by the usual means for simultaneously moving them laterally to carry one of the switch rails to its coacting stock rail 3 and the other switch rail from its companion stock rail. The base plate 1 and the stock rails 3 are secured to the cross tie 2 by spikes 5 and 6, which may be arranged in any suitable manner. The base plate is provided at each end with a longitudinal slot or opening 7, located above a recess 8 of the cross tie and receiving a bottom plate or portion 9 of a slide 10. The base plate is also provided at the inner end of each slot or opening with a depending flange 11 consisting of a portion of material out to form the slot or opening 7 and extending downwardly into the inner end of the recess 8 of the cross tie and having its terminal portion 12 bent at an angle and arranged upon the bottom of the recess, which is tapered at the inner portion to fit the flange. The bottom plate or portion 9 of the slide is provided at the inner end with an enlargement 13 forming a seat let to receive a bottom flange 15 of the split rail, and it has an upwardly extending flange 16, arranged at the inner end of the bottom plate or portion 9 and spacing an angular attaching portion 17 from the seat 14 to form an intervening recess in which the bottom flange 15 is secured by vertical rivets 18. The angular attaching portion fits against and conforms to the configuration of the split rail, and it is also secured to the same by transverse rivets 19, which pierce the web of the split rail and the upwardly extending flange of the angularly disposed portion 17 The vertical rivets extend through the lower inclined flange of the angularly disposed portion 17 and pierce the bottom flange of the split rail and the enlargement 13 of the slide. The seat 14 spaces the bottom flange 15 of the split rail from the upper face of the bottom portion or plate 9 of the slide to provide an intervening space or recess to receive the bottom flange 20 of the stock rail 3 when the split switch is carried into contact with the said stock rail. The inward movement of the switch rail a with respect to the stock rail 3 causes the bottom plate or portion 9 of the slide to extend beneath the bottom flanges of the stock rail, and the said bottom plate or portion when in this position will maintain the split switch rail point in proper position with its top surface at the same level as the top surface of the stock rail. Also the bottom plate or portion, which forms a projecting tongue, is adapted to prevent the split rail from bobbing up and projecting above the tread of the stock rail.

The bottom plate or portion 9 is slidably interlocked with the base plate by means of lateral projections 21, preferably tapered and rounded, as shown, and projecting beneath the base plate at opposite sides of the openings 7 and presenting rounded upper faces to the lower face of the base plate. The projections effectually prevent the slide from becoming disengaged from the guiding portion of the base plate, and the recess 8 of the cross tie is sufficiently wide to permit free movement of the slide. The outer end 22 of the bottom plate or portion is rounded at the upper face, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, to enable the said plate or portion 9 to pass readily beneath the bottom flange 20 of the stock rail should the slide in the operation of the switch rail be carried slightly beyond the stock rail. The inclined depending flange of the base plate is also adapted to receive and guide the inner portion of the slide when the latter is subjected to any excessive inward movement. The slide is provided adjacent to the inner side edge of the seat with a transverse groove 23, adapted to hold a lubricant and also any accumulation, which may be scraped from the upper face of the bottom plate or portion 9 to contact with the bottom flange of the rail.

The safety device, which maintains the split rail in proper position with relation to the stock rail, does not interfere with the usual operating mechanism employed for such switches, and it may be readily applied to the same without necessitating any alteration in the construction of the rails.

I claim 1. A safety device of the class described including a slide comprising an attaching portion provided with means for securing it to a switch rail, and a projecting tongue rigid with the switch rail and arranged to extend beneath the adjacent fixed rail.

2. A safety device of the class described including a slide comprising an attaching portion provided with means for securing it to a switch rail, a projecting tongue rigid with the switch rail and arranged to extend beneath the adjacent fixed rail, and means for guiding the tongue in the movement of the switch rail.

3. A safety device of the class described including a slide comprising a bottom plate or portion adapted to extend beneath a fixed H rail and provided at its inner end with an upwardly projecting seat arranged to receive a switch rail, and an attaching portion extending from the inner end of the bottom plate or portion in spaced relation with the said seat to form a recess for the switch rail and adapted to fit against the exterior of the same and be secured thereto, said switch rail being spaced by the projecting seat from the bottom plate or portion to provide a space or recess for the bottom flange of the fixed rail.

4. A safety device of the class described including a slide comprising a bottom plate or portion adapted to extend beneath a fixed rail and provided with a groove adapted to hold a lubricant and to receive accumulation, and an attaching portion extending from the inner end of the said bottom plate or portion and adapted to be secured to a switch rail.

5. A safety device of the class described comprising a base plate adapted to receive a fixed rail and having a slot or opening located beneath the said rail, and a slide comprising an attaching portion having means for securing it to a switch rail, and a bottom plate or portion forming a projectingtongue rigid with the switch rail and extending through the slot or opening of the base plate and adapted to lie beneath the adjacent fixed rail when the switch rail is contiguous thereto.

6. A safety device of the class described comprising a base plate adapted to receive a fixed rail and having a slot or opening located beneath the said rail, and a slide comprising an attaching portion having means for securing it to a switch rail, and a bottom plate or portion forming a projecting tongue and provided with lateral projections extending beneath the base plate and slidably interlocking the said bottom plate or portion with the same. 7

7. A safety device of the class described including a base plate having a slot or opening and a. slide provided at one end with an attaching portion adapted to be secured to a switch rail, said slidehaving itsot-her end rounded at its upper face and extending through the slot or opening of the base plate and adapted to lie beneath a. fixed rail when the switch rail is contiguous to the same.

8. A safety device of the class described including a base plate having a slot or opening and provided at one end thereof with an integral depending flange arranged at an inclination, and a slide having means for attaching it to a switch rail and projecting through the slot or opening in advance of the said flange.

9. In a safety device of the class described, the combination with a cross tie having a recess, a base plate arranged on the cross tie and having a slot or opening located above the said recess, said base plate being adapted to receive a fixed rail, and a slide comprising an attaching portion adapted to be secure to an adjacent switch rail, and a projecting portion rigid with the switch rail 1.5 and extending through the slot or openin and movable to a position beneath the fixe rail when the switch rail is carried to the same.

WILLIAM JOSEPH MEENAGHAN.

Witnesses:

Rosco F. BAYLESS, CARL F. RowDEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents. Washington, D. G. 

